Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft are used in tactical situations where extended runways are not available for conventional jet fighters. This includes unimproved land areas and ships smaller than aircraft carriers.
The typical VTOL aircraft must have power capacity greatly in excess of that required for flying. This is due to the fact that the VTOL aircraft requires high power to vertically take off and land. This excess power requirement results in a heavier aircraft which comprises optimum performance and efficiency characteristics.
In my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 855,285, the structure and method for permitting vertical take off and landing of aircraft, including supersonic fighter aircraft on a smaller ship, are provided. This avoids the necessity of providing a fleet with expensive and specialized VTOL aircraft which cannot achieve the performance and efficiency standards of regular supersonic aircraft.
In accordance with the co-pending invention, means are provided for generating an air column above the deck of a ship which has a bucket-shaped pressure ridge on the top of the column having the capability of "capturing" an aircraft which enters the column in a "deep stall" condition. The air column is then controlled to gently lower the aircraft to the deck of a ship.
In order to vertically take off, the column of air is used to raise the aircraft to a point well above the ship deck. The aircraft can then quickly depart from the air column by entering a full thrust condition.
By equipping smaller ships, such as destroyers, with the necessary means for generating an air column, conventional supersonic aircraft may be used instead of costly and less-efficient VTOL.